We’ve all been there: sitting at a red light at an empty junction with no traffic visible from either direction just waiting patiently (or not so patiently, depending on your mood) for the lights to change.

In those moments, the thought of ignoring the pointless stop signal can seem all too tempting as a victory of common sense over dogmatic law-abiding. But what about getting rid of traffic lights altogether, even on the busiest of roads? Sounds crazy right, not to mention unsafe?

Well that is just what is being suggested by road campaigner Martin Cassini, who argues that abolishing traffic lights would actually make us more considerate and safer drivers. While this sounds counter-intuitive, the reasoning behind it makes a surprising amount of sense when it’s explained in full.

Cassini’s main points are that the whole system of priority causes us to steam ahead when we have right way, regardless of how this affects the people around us – people trying to cross a busy road, for example.

When we come up to traffic lights, they become our main focus as we worry whether we’ll be fast enough to make it through on the green (or sneak through the amber) or have to wait if we get caught at the red, and this makes us drive more recklessly, whereas without lights, we would all drive more slowly, leading to a steadier and safer flow of traffic.

The theory has even been proven to work in practice following a trial in Portishead near Bristol, which has since become permanent. Just minutes after turning the lights off at a busy junction there, the queues disappeared and journey times fell by over a half with no loss of safety.

We have to say we like the sound of a road system designed around people rather than machines, but perhaps abolishing all traffic lights would be a tad too radical. We’d love to hear your thoughts!

The Royal Mail will release a range of postage stamps tomorrow designed to showcase the best in British postwar fashion.

The Great British Fashion stamps, which feature a range of classic women’s and men’s designs from household names such as Vivienne Westwood and Paul Smith, encapsulate the peculiarly British mix of tradition and creative innovation that has earned us the reputation of loveable oddballs.

The outfits pictured on the stamps range from a demure skirt suit designed by Hardy Amies in the 1940s which we could easily imagine staking its place in the royal wardrobe to a dramatic Alexander McQueen creation reserved only for the most avant-garde of fashionistas (or possibly the odd bird lover).

The stamps are lent an element of fun by the dynamic poses used, although the models themselves were all airbrushed out in order to create a timeless feel.

Regardless of whether you would actually wear the outfits yourself, the snazzy designs are bound to brighten up your letters this spring. In fact, we love the designs so much that we reckon Royal Mail should go one step further and kit out its posties in the same clothes to match!

It’s always handy to have easy access to the airport from your holiday resort, right? Well, next time you book you might want to double check just how accessible it is in case you arrive to find your beach is actually at the end of the runway. Spot of windsurfing, anyone?

Love the feel of the wind rushing through your hair as you tear down the open road in a stylish convertible? Ever wish you weren’t so restricted by terrestrial speed limits? We might just have found the perfect solution for you:

Let’s hope their airbags were in good working order!

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the bank holiday!

If you were asked to think of two delivery options that are diametrically opposed to each other, you may well think of the traditional delivery truck versus the humble cycle courier.

At the one end you have a very large, engine-operated vehicle that can handle big, bulky loads, while at the other you have the bicycle which, while restricted to lightweight consignments, can deftly zip down narrow city streets and leaves behind no emissions. Each caters to very different requirements and their services have rarely overlapped – until now.

A new breed of cycle courier, labelled the ‘cargo bike’ is beginning to carve out a niche for itself delivering larger loads to inner city locations.

These impressive vehicles (and even more impressive riders!) can carry a weight of up to 400kg, with models ranging from two to four wheel designs.  Some even come with electric assistance for getting up hills, saving the rider a bit of effort (not to mention sweat), meaning that they can favour smart uniforms over the usual grubby lycra shorts.

Not only does this provide visibility for the company, but it also encourages responsible riding, as any recklessness can easily be reported back to HQ.

While the benefits of these cargo bikes are obvious for delivery jobs within the same city, another exciting potential use for them is for the final stages of longer-distance deliveries ending in inner city areas.

This possibility is being discussed at the annual summit of the International Transport Forum in Leipzig, and could prove popular with government and delivery companies alike as it would reduce fuel costs and harmful emissions.

So, unlikely as it may have seemed, the future could well see truckers and cyclists working in perfect harmony to further reduce the cost and environmental impact of deliveries. We say bring it on!

This French driver must have felt slightly embarrassed after mistaking a Metro station for an underground car park.

What did they think first? “What are all these pedestrians doing walking in the road?” or “I don’t remember car park ramps having handrails before!”